(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) A black Pennsylvania police officer smacked down a Black Lives Matter rioter in the streets, the Pittsburgh City Paper reported.
A mob was violently rioting in the Pittsburgh suburb of Wilkinsburg in protest of police violence on April 16.
They were protesting the death of Jim Rogers, a black man from Pittsburgh who died after he was tased by several police officers in October 2021.
Eve Pfieffer, the organizer of the “Justice for Jim Rogers” protest, said that the riot was meant to serve two purposes: personal and political.
“On the one hand, we intend to march to honor Jim’s life and who he was as a person,” wrote Pfieffer in a statement.
“On the other, we march to demand that the city and county officials act immediately in charging and firing all of the officers and EMS officials who were culpable in this horrible act of brutality and injustice,” she added.
After the riot had covered several blocks, police officers from the Wilkinsburg and Edgewood departments gathered and announced that the riot was an “unlawful assembly.”
Rioters, immediately angered that they weren’t permitted to do what they wished, became aggressive with officers.
After several rioters began to attack, Officer Seth Taylor of the Wilkinsburg Police Department pummeled a rioter to the ground with a single blow.
A Wilkinsburg police officer strikes a protestor at the intersection of Penn Avenue and Center St during a march before arresting them and putting them in the back of a Edgewood police vehicle. @PGHCityPaper pic.twitter.com/6tYXe2WFLU
— Jared Wickerham (@WickPhoto) April 16, 2022
The violent protester who was struck was reportedly named Vuestro Merced, according to a tweet.
Merced was taken into custody by the police, but has since been released.
They are out and safe with community. You may support them via cashapp at [REDACTED] pic.twitter.com/JG0NIkL5rV
— Miracle. ESQ. MSW. (@MiracleEsq) April 16, 2022
Soon thereafter the protest was dispersed as the police canine unit descended on the illegal protesters.
Various police departments then told everyone to get out of the street, arresting two who were marching after police approached them and told them to leave the intersection due to a demolition going on at the corner. @PGHCityPaper pic.twitter.com/8fKur2ZrkW
— Jared Wickerham (@WickPhoto) April 16, 2022
